Dashain Public Holiday and Royal Tika Tradition in Buddhist-Majority Bhutan

Dragon Media News Desk

In Buddhist-majority Bhutan, Dashain is celebrated by the Hindu community, and Vijaya Dashami is a national public holiday. Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) says Dashain has been recognised as a national holiday since 1980.

This year, a three-day Durga Puja was held at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu in the presence of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen. Tika sanctified during the puja was sent to dzongkhags across the country for local authorities to distribute to families celebrating Dashain, according to official Bhutanese accounts.

The King also takes part in Durga Puja at Thimphu’s Devi Panchayan Temple, where he gives tika and blessings to representatives of the Hindu community. In Bhutan, the ritual in which the King first gives tika to a priest, followed by community representatives receiving tika from the King, is known as “Raja Tika.” Local cultural records also describe community leaders or local officials giving Raja Tika.

BBS says the tika is made by mixing rice, curd and vermilion. Cultural records also describe rice-and-curd tika and note that customs, including the use of colour, vary among communities. Available evidence does not support the social media claim that white tika alone is uniformly used across Bhutan.